Actuators and smart materials are materials that exhibit mechanical deformation in response to an external stimulus such as an electric field, thermal energy, light, and electrochemical media. Actuators are of great interest due to their current and potential applications in aerospace structural components. Specifically, these materials, when actuated, perform a number of different functions, such as deploying solar arrays, antennas, flexible packaging, etc. Actuating these materials, however, via electro-resistive heating requires electrodes and wiring to the structural components. In addition, thermal shape memory polymers necessitates applying stress at a temperature above switching temperature to fix the polymer shape after recovery.